The number of business schools accepting GRE scores instead of GMAT scores grew this year, but a third of schools report that applicants who submit a GMAT score have an advantage over those who submit a GRE score, according to a recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep.
Kaplan’s 2010 survey of business school admissions officers revealed that 39 percent of schools surveyed now allow an applicant to submit GRE scores, up from 24 percent last year. But of schools reporting that they accept only the GMAT, 75 percent said they have no plans of accepting the GRE. And of the schools that do accept the GRE, 69 percent report that fewer than 1 in 10 applicants actually submitted a GRE score instead of a GMAT score this past admissions cycle.
“While the GRE is gaining acceptance among business schools, it’s still fairly new to the MBA admissions process and programs are not in a hurry to embrace it due to its lack of history in predicting business school performance,” Liz Weale, Kaplan executive director of pre-business and graduate programs, said in a statement. “For the time being, we recommend that prospective MBAs take the GMAT, not the GRE, since doing so will provide candidates with more options for business school, and it may even give them an extra edge in the admissions process,” Weale continued.
The survey, conducted by phone in July and August 2010, included responses from 288 business schools, including 22 of the top 30 as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Another key finding of the survey was that most schools expect that business school admission volumes are poised to increase. Of schools surveyed, 78 percent predict an increase in applicants over the current cycle.
Read the full article: GRE Gains Wider Acceptance, but Candidates Submitting GMAT Scores Have Admissions Advantage, Kaplan Survey Finds